FreshBooks
FreshBooks is a freelancer-first invoicing and light accounting platform that bills by billable-client count, with a polished client-facing invoice, time tracking that auto-fills invoices, and built-in payment collection.
Verified against: freshbooks.comfreshbooks.com as of 2026-09-20
Quick verdict: FreshBooks earns 4.1/5 in our research-based assessment — the right answer for a freelancer or service business that bills by client. The invoice-and-time-tracking flow is the best in the set, and built-in payments keep the money in the same seat. The 2026-03 increase now puts the entry at $23/mo (Lite, 5 billable clients), $43/mo (Plus, 50) and $70/mo (Premium, unlimited), with +$11/mo per extra team member and card fees separate. Pick it over QuickBooks for a lighter, invoice-first bill; pick Wave or Zoho Invoice to pay nothing, or BILL when the need is vendor-side AP at team scale. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
- Our rating: 4.1/5
- Strongest dimension: Functionality (4/5, research only)
- Weakest dimension: Localization (3/5, research only)
- Pricing: 30-day free trial · $23/mo (Lite)
- Verification: Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-20. Sources: freshbooks.com, freshbooks.com
FreshBooks pricing details
- 30-day free trial
- paid plans from $23/mo (Lite)
- lite $23/mo · Plus $43/mo · Premium $70/mo (monthly)
- lite $248.40/yr · Plus $464.40/yr · Premium $756/yr (annual, ~10% off)
Priced by billable-client cap: Lite up to 5, Plus up to 50, Premium unlimited. An independent 2026-03 price update raised the USD tiers from $15/$34/$57 to $23/$43/$70; extra team members are +$11/mo each and a quote-only Select tier adds dedicated support and lower card rates. Payment processing is billed separately (2.9% + $0.30 standard US cards).
In our index: No free plan (30-day trial). Lite $23/mo (5 billable clients) · Plus $43/mo (50) · Premium $70/mo (unlimited); annual ~10% off ($248.40/$464.40/$756). Extra team members +$11/mo; quote-only Select tier. US card processing 2.9% + $0.30.
How FreshBooks scores across our 6 index dimensions
- Functionality: 4/5 (research only)
- Usability: 4/5 (research only)
- Stability: 4/5 (research only)
- Collaboration: 4/5 (research only)
- Localization: 3/5 (research only)
- Value: 3/5 (research only)
Score rationale: Client-billing focus is the strength — the cleanest invoice + time-tracking flow in the cluster and a 2026-03 price hike that raised every tier (entry $15 to $23). No hands-on this round; figures from the official 2026 price-change FAQ and pricing page.
What FreshBooks does well
- Client-billing focus: the polished invoice + time-tracking auto-fill is the standout workflow
- Built-in payment collection (cards, ACH, Apple/Google Pay, BNPL)
- Recurring billing, client retainers and expense tracking on the paid tiers
- PCI-DSS L1 processing and clean tax-time reports
Where FreshBooks falls short
- 2026-03 hike raised the entry tier from $15 to $23/mo — the cluster's mid-priced start
- No standing free plan — a 30-day trial only
- Priced by billable-client cap; heavy freelancers with 50+ clients push to Premium
- No inventory or multi-entity; full accounting means a separate stack
How FreshBooks compares to other Invoicing & AR tools
Our index tracks 5 Invoicing & AR tools. FreshBooks sits at 4.1/5, with lite $248.40/yr · plus $464.40/yr · premium $756/yr (annual, ~10% off). Here are the 4 closest alternatives we hold pricing and scoring evidence for.
- QuickBooks — 4.4/5 · 30-day free trial · $38/mo (Simple Start)
QuickBooks Online is the default US small-business accounting platform, strongest on the accountant ecosystem and 750+ integrations; invoicing is one module in a broader bookkeeping suite rather than a standalone invoice tool. - Wave — 4.2/5 · Free plan · $19/mo (Pro)
Wave is a free-forever invoicing and light-accounting platform for US/Canada freelancers — unlimited invoices, estimates and bookkeeping records on the $0 plan, with automation pushed to the paid Pro tier. - Zoho Invoice — 4.0/5 · Free plan · Free (no paid tiers)
Zoho Invoice is a permanently free invoicing tool with a client portal, multi-currency and time tracking; it is the freemium entry of the Zoho ecosystem and the funnel into the paid Zoho Books accounting suite. - BILL — 3.8/5 · Free plan · $49/user/mo (Essentials)
BILL is an AP + AR automation platform for teams that pay many vendors and collect on many invoices — approval workflows, 4M+ vendor network and two-way QuickBooks/Xero sync — priced per user with transaction fees on top.
Frequently asked questions about FreshBooks
How much does FreshBooks cost?
30-day free trial; paid plans from $23/mo (Lite); lite $23/mo · Plus $43/mo · Premium $70/mo (monthly); lite $248.40/yr · Plus $464.40/yr · Premium $756/yr (annual, ~10% off). Billing detail: Priced by billable-client cap: Lite up to 5, Plus up to 50, Premium unlimited. An independent 2026-03 price update raised the USD tiers from $15/$34/$57 to $23/$43/$70; extra team members are +$11/mo each and a quote-only Select tier adds dedicated support and lower card rates. Payment processing is billed separately (2.9% + $0.30 standard US cards). Figures verified 2026-09-20.
Does FreshBooks have a free plan?
No free plan is listed for FreshBooks, but a trial is offered (30-day free trial). Paid plans start at $23/mo (Lite).
What is FreshBooks rated in our index?
FreshBooks sits at 4.1/5 in our index, strongest on functionality (4/5, research only) and weakest on localization (3/5, research only). FreshBooks earns 4.1/5 in our research-based assessment — the right answer for a freelancer or service business that bills by client. The invoice-and-time-tracking flow is the best in the set, and built-in payments keep the money in the same seat. The 2026-03 increase now puts the entry at $23/mo (Lite, 5 billable clients), $43/mo (Plus, 50) and $70/mo (Premium, unlimited), with +$11/mo per extra team member and card fees separate. Pick it over QuickBooks for a lighter, invoice-first bill; pick Wave or Zoho Invoice to pay nothing, or BILL when the need is vendor-side AP at team scale. (Research sweep, no paid workspace tested.)
What are the drawbacks of FreshBooks?
2026-03 hike raised the entry tier from $15 to $23/mo — the cluster's mid-priced start No standing free plan — a 30-day trial only Priced by billable-client cap; heavy freelancers with 50+ clients push to Premium No inventory or multi-entity; full accounting means a separate stack.
What does FreshBooks do well?
Client-billing focus: the polished invoice + time-tracking auto-fill is the standout workflow Built-in payment collection (cards, ACH, Apple/Google Pay, BNPL) Recurring billing, client retainers and expense tracking on the paid tiers PCI-DSS L1 processing and clean tax-time reports.
How was FreshBooks verified?
Research-only pass over official sources, last checked 2026-09-20. Sources: freshbooks.com, freshbooks.com.
What are the alternatives to FreshBooks?
We track Wave, QuickBooks, Zoho Invoice, BILL, FreshBooks as the closest alternatives in our Invoicing & AR index, and 4 head-to-head comparisons against FreshBooks are available.